I did the bare minimum to get my CO and then found my own landscape master after we closed.

Thanks, cpartist!

The one issue can be actually finding somebody. If it were me, I'd not wait until close. I'd start having other landscaper contractors out now, to give you a price and then get on their schedule. If you wait until spring to source them, it could be next Fall before they can get to you.

When you say the yard turned out a lot more sloped then expected, was this only a surprise to you, or to your builder as well?

That’s definitely something I have to consider, Kay. Back in early fall when I thought there was a chance to get hardscaping started before the ground froze, I called 3-4 other companies and they were all booked into summer ‘22.
We expected some slope but I’m definitely set higher than any of the other homes in the development - this was a surprise to me. I’m sure my basement will stay dry but my original project manager didn’t exactly set expectations (on a lot of things).

My landscape architect was able to break our project into phases to be accomplished over a few years. We did the bare minimum first (in your case the steps and maybe foundation plantings?) and then the next year added the fire pit and gravel patio, etc. A few years later was the covered pavilion. Perhaps yours can be broken into chunks that will be easier to swallow.

Congrats on your new house. I would use that 15k to get the steps in and get CO. Meanwhile, start interviewing landscape companes, getting recommendations, with a plan date for spring/summer. This will give you a chance to think more about what you want to do and hear what the people you interview think. In this market, my neighbors waited a year to get a pool, so I’d start as soon as you can interviewing companies.

Your new home looks like it will be beautiful. Hire a landscape architect to help with the plan. They are so much more involved than a landscaping company because of their training in design as well as ensuring proper drainage etc. start your research and gather ideas of what you want in your landscape and how you want to use the spaces. They will come up with plans that you can implement over time as your budget allows. FWIW, we did our backyard in the fall of 2020 and it was about $50k for a bluestone patio, retaining wall, 2 sets of granite steps, 3 trees planted, cedar fence, small amount of sod laid. Our backyard is about 2000sf small, outside of Boston. It was a serious investment for us and we love it. We did the balance plantings ourselves with our shrubs and perennials we moved around to make way for the patio.

I've never heard of steps as being included in a landscaping bid.

The amount that our builder put in the budget for landscaping was around $15,000, but we knew going in that budget would not come close to what we would need to landscape our yard - approximately a half acre. We ended up getting our own landscaper for grass and minimal plantings. We have 3 Crepe Myrtles, some Arborvitae evergreen for screening, and the rest bushes. Also included is mulch. This came to around $35,000.

"I've never heard of steps as being included in a landscaping bid."

It is actually quite common with some larger projects.....simply because most homeowners have no clue about the costs involved with landscaping. The designer will prepare a master plan according to client wishes but that plan is often phased in in stages as the client budget depletes and swells over time.

Not always easy to find a landscape contractor willing to work this way but certainly possible. The contractor I work with almost exclusively is happy to work in phases: it is easier to schedule a lot of smaller jobs versus one big one and it helps to build a long term association with the client.

Spend your allowance on what is necessary to get the COO and worry about the rest later. I'd strongly suggest hiring a qualified designer to get you to the rest but it can all be implemented over time once you have the COO and have moved in. Successful garden design is rarely instantaneous :-) I have been working with one set of clients for almost 5 years as we incrementally get their 3 acre garden to shape phase by phase.

Also to homeowners who have never ventured down this road before - take what you think is a reasonable landscaping budget and double it!! $35K here won't get you much of anything!!

Yes-negotiate the essentials - closest to the 15k - and ask to revisit the rest after closing.

Easy place to spend a ton of money.

Is it not possible to provide a satisfactory…and much more convenient…outdoor space in the form of a deck?